Oblivion
by d.funnie
Summary: Continued in "The Breaking Point." When Naru takes her abuse on Keitaro to a new level, Keitaro contracts amnesia. How will the inhabitants of the Hinata Apartments take it, and will Keitaro still love Naru? Lime scene.
1. Away from the Apartment: Misunderstandin

Oblivion  
  
By: Syndicate  
  
Dedicated to the GoDdEsS oF dEaTh, my muse.  
Away from the Apartments: Misunderstanding  
  
She kissed three-year ronin Keitaro Urashima again, as his strong hands explored her naked body, feeling, cupping and squeezing whatever he could. He stuck his tongue in her mouth, and she massaged it with her own. They broke the kiss for air, and then quickly kissed again. She bit down on his lip gently, teasingly shortly before he lowered his head, making a trail of saliva with his tongue. The trail started at her mouth, and continued over her exposed chest, where he stopped. She kicked her foot out in surprise and pleasure and hit a vase, which fell to the ground with a crash, sending ceramic shards in all directions.  
  
Naru Narusegawa shot up in bed. Her bed sheets were tangled around her legs and most of her body was bathed in a cold sweat. Her breathing came in long, deep breaths. She looked around blindly, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the light - or lack thereof. That's when she heard footsteps.  
  
"W-who's there?" she called out timidly. Her door slid open and as she was about to yelp, she heard the soft voice of Motoko Aoyama telling her to get up.  
  
"One moment," Naru whispered. Motoko smiled slightly, comforting the elder girl, and pulled her head out of the room, sliding the door shut behind her.  
  
Naru untangled her legs from the sheets and stepped out of bed. She got up quickly, and fell back onto the bed. Naru paused while the room spun around her. She tried getting up again, but more slowly. This worked, and she was able to walk over to her door and step outside. Motoko leaned against the wall, head titled downwards, eyes closed, arms crossed loosely over her chest.  
  
"Motoko?" Naru questioned quickly. When only silence answered, Naru walked up to the other woman and grabbed hold of her shoulder, shaking her slightly. Motoko's eyes fluttered open. Bringing her head back up she saw a concerned Naru. Before the friend could speak, Motoko whispered, "Follow me," and began creeping forward.  
  
After a few moments of walking, Motoko spun around and faced Naru, who, not expecting the sudden stop, bumped into Motoko. She murmured a quick apology and awaited a response.  
  
"Go collect Su," Motoko said quickly. "I'll get Kitsune and Shinobu." Naru opened her mouth to speak, but Motoko pressed a finger against her lips. "Just do it." With that, Motoko made her way to Kitsune's room.  
It took awhile for Naru to bring Kaolla Su out of her dream state, so when she had finally come back to where she split up with Motoko, the other three female inhabitants of the Inn were already there.  
  
"What is this all about?" Kitsune whined. "I was having a very nice dream." She emphasized 'nice' with a wink, and the others groaned. "What?" Kitsune asked, smirking. "Was it something I said?"  
  
"This way," Motoko said, motioning towards Keitaro's room with her hand. "We've got to collect Urashima. I'll explain along the way." Still confused, Naru, Kitsune, Shinobu, and Su followed their katana-carrying friend, who began to speak as soon as they had caught up with her fast pace.  
  
"I woke up when I heard a crash," she began. "Before this, I had heard some moaning coming from Naru's room, so I assumed she might've been in trouble." Everyone looked at Naru questioningly. Had the light been more plentiful, everyone would have seen Naru light up like a red Christmas light.  
  
"It was n-nothing!" Naru stammered. Kitsune smiled a smile that would put the Cheshire Cat to shame, while nodding her head, thinking of the many possible dreams that would have caused Naru to moan. They were nothing if not naughty.  
  
"As I was saying," Motoko interrupted. Naru mouthed, 'Thank you.'  
  
"I had determined someone else was in the house before checking on Naru. The sound I heard, including the crash that probably awoke Naru, came from somewhere else. I think we've got a thief in the apartments." As Motoko finished her last sentence, she stopped in front of Keitaro's door.  
  
"Keitaro?" Motoko whispered, slowly opening his door. "Are you awake?" she continued.  
  
"He's probably dreaming up something incredibly perverted," Naru said. "What else would he be doing?"  
  
"You've got a point. He's probably having a dream similar to yours." Kitsune began giggling maniacally as Naru tried to hide her flushed face by moving into the areas of the hallway not kissed by the moons gently light. As she did so, sounds of movement inside of Keitaro's room were heard.  
  
"Is that Keitaro?" Shinobu asked worriedly.  
  
"I doubt it," Motoko answered. "He recently bought that bedside lamp. It'd be on if he was awake."  
  
"Does that mean. There's a thief in there?" Shinobu moved closer Motoko's protective side. She grabbed hold of the high school student's robe. Motoko looked down at Shinobu and smiled at her reassuringly.  
  
"Probably, but they won't harm anyone." She unsheathed her katana and slowly inched her hand to the door's handle. Her hand reached it finally and she grasped it tightly. She began to move her hand to the side, dragging the door along with it. When the opening was large enough for her to stick her head into she stopped and peered in. She saw the silhouette of a figure hunched over Keitaro's futon. Her eyes widened as many thoughts came to mind.  
  
Motoko thrust open the rest of the door and turned on the light. She brought her katana over here head. "Special technique rock splitting sword!" Motoko yelled, bringing her katana down. She stopped midway. A small gasp passed her lips.  
  
"What? What is it?" the other four women asked anxiously.  
  
"It's. Tama." Motoko stepped to the side as the other entered Keitaro's room. The silhouette Motoko thought she saw was actually Keitaro's bed sheets bunched up, with a sleeping Tama moving around base of the sheets. Tears welled up in Naru's eyes, but she would not let them fall. Using the entirety of her strength, she managed to say with a clear voice: "When I find him, I'm going to hurt him so much." The others were silent for a moment. They just watched Naru, whose eyes no longer betrayed her feelings of sadness, but those of anger. She clenched her fists.  
  
Shinobu broke the silence. "But. Where could he have gone?" Everyone was silent. No one knew the answer.  
  
Naru thought about it. She wanted to find him. Wanted to hurt him for abandoning them.  
  
'Did he abandon us?' Naru thought to herself. 'Could he have been abducted?' It was possible. Then an image flashed in front of her. It was only for a split second, but she saw it clear as day. "Otohime." she growled. "He must be at Mutsumi's."  
  
"What was that?" Kitsune's question broke Naru out of her train of thought. "Did you say my name?" It took a moment for Kitsune's question to register, and another moment before Naru's mess of thoughts came back together.  
  
"He's at Mutsumi's!" Naru declared.  
  
"What makes you so sure?" Motoko asked, looking at her friend with an incredulous look.  
  
"I. I just do!" Naru's voice was breaking up. She managed to compose herself for one last statement. "Let's go."  
The troop walked quickly towards their destination, with Naru leading the way. Even Motoko had to quicken her pace to keep up. The other's simply jogged.  
  
'That scum bag. How could he.' Naru pondered. 'Tricking me so. So I'd like him, when it's all just. A game! What I'll do when I-' Motoko's hand on her shoulder brought Naru back to reality.  
  
"There is a good chance he's not even there. He could be somewhere else," Motoko suggested. She smiled, trying to bring hope to Naru's thoughts, which were filled with everything but that. She forced a smile in return. She did feel a little better.  
  
"Thank you, Motoko."  
  
The rest of the walk to Mutsumi's house went in complete silence. This allowed Naru to dwell on her thoughts, which concentrated on the worst situations. She tried to stop the thoughts, but they never ceased. They flooded into her mind freely. The feeling she had that they could all be true didn't help. She didn't show any signs of struggle. She had to be strong in front of the others. And she couldn't let them know how she felt, although she was sure they all thought they knew.  
Again Motoko brought Naru out of her thoughts.  
  
"We're here." she mumbled, pointing to a small house. Naru turned and felt sick. 'I can't do this.' she thought. 'I can't face him.' The others didn't interrupt her. They just stood and watched, their own views on what might have happened playing through their minds.  
  
"Well." Naru started. "We should. Go in." Not wanting to make the situation any worse, the others began walking towards the house. Su stopped when she noticed Naru hadn't moved.  
  
"Come on!" she said in her usual exenterate voice. "We can all have something yummy to eat after we get Keitaro, okay? I've been dying to try 'elope'!" Naru giggled quietly at Su's lack of knowledge as far as words went. The burst of happiness quickly passed, though. The two of them walked up to the house and stopped next to the rest of the group. They waited to hear what Naru had to say.  
  
"Let's get that pervert," she commanded, cracking her knuckles. They all walked up to the door, where, after another pause, Naru launched a kick, hitting the door just below the handle.  
  
"What are you doing?" Kitsune asked harshly. "You know you can knock, right?"  
  
"Yes, knock!" Su said, hopping around the assembly. Naru ignored them and kicked again, breaking the lock and sending the door inwards, hitting the wall with a loud crash. Naru wasted no time storming into the house, turning the lights on as she found them. Finally, she reached the bedroom door. She stopped dead. Her feet wouldn't carry her any further.  
  
The four remaining women looked around the corner into the hallway where Naru was. They dared not move any closer, and watched her stand there. Finally, she walked up to the door, and slowly slid it open. She stepped in, taking a moment to look around after each step. When she found the switch she flicked it up and a blinding light lit the room. Naru shielded her eyes with her arm and waited a few seconds before taking it down. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the light and she gasped. Keitaro lay, on his stomach, next to Mutsumi Otohime. Unable to hold in her feelings - those of pain, anger, and sorrow - she screamed.  
Motoko rushed into the room with her katana unsheathed, followed by Kitsune, Shinobu, and Su. They didn't bother hiding their feelings on the sight before them either. Su caught Shinobu as the younger girl fainted and fell to the ground. After gently laying her down, Su returned her full attention to the situation at hand.  
  
Keitaro was awakened by Naru's scream and sat up. Still groggy and half asleep, it took his eyes awhile to adjust to the light.  
  
"You. You." Naru's voice was fierce. "You. Pervert!" Naru advanced on Keitaro.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked, yawning. That's all he got to say before Naru wound up her fist and launched it at his face. The force of the punch sent Keitaro into the wall, denting it. Naru jumped in front of him and punched again. And again. And again. Motoko made a move towards her to stop her. Naru elbowed her in the throat while winding up for another punch. Motoko gasped and choked for a moment.  
  
"How. Could. You?" Naru growled between punches. Tears streamed down her face. She was panting loudly. The adrenaline coursing through her veins only strengthened her.  
  
When the adrenaline rush was nearly over, she wound up for a final uppercut to Keitaro's chin. Motoko, who had recovered, raised her katana over her head.  
  
"I'm sorry, Naru." she mumbled. "Secret technique rock splitting sword!" She brought her katana down and a gust of wind emanating from where he sword had cut the air rushed forward. It hit Naru in the back and sent her sprawling into the wall, but not before she successfully hit Keitaro one last time. He flew up into the air, hitting the ceiling, and then fell to the ground again with a sickening 'thud'. They both lay next to each other on the ground, unconscious.  
Naru woke up six hours later in bed, in her room at the Hinata Apartments. The remains of three pieces of incense lay at the bottom of a bowl on the bandstand next to Naru's futon.  
  
She began to get up, but her throbbing head would not allow it. She laid back down, looking around her room. Sunlight poured in through the windows, and she could hear the chirping of many birds outside. There was not a single cloud in the expanse of sky she could see, and a light breeze coming through an open window cooled her room down. Naru could even smell the flowers, whose sweet fragrance was carried by the wind. This perfect day was shattered when she remembered the early morning hours of what she assumed to be the same day. Almost immediately storm clouds cast a shadow over the entirety of the Apartments. The dark clouds were filled with rain and would no doubt let this rainfall free within an hour.  
  
Tears threatened to spill and Naru fought to keep them at bay.  
  
'I don't love him. I don't even like him!' she screamed to herself mentally. 'But I don't hate him either.' Then she stopped struggling and let the tears fall. They rolled down her face continually and before long her shoulders began to rack as her crying intensified.  
  
Motoko must have been outside of her room, because a few moments after Naru began crying, Motoko ran in. The site before the Kendo woman was sad enough to make her nearly break down and cry, as well.  
  
She rushed over to her friend's side and gathered her up in her arms, rocking back and forth slowly, cooing words of encouragement to her. It didn't seem to help much, but Motoko didn't stop. Naru fell asleep from exhaustion a few minutes later.  
"How is she?" Shinobu asked. Kitsune and Su were with her.  
  
"Not well, I'm afraid." Motoko replied, closing the door to Naru's room behind her. "Cried herself to sleep."  
  
"Poor Naru!" Shinobu said. Tears stung her eyes.  
  
"Don't worry, Shinobu." Kitsune say, bending down and hugging the youngest of the women at the Apartments. "She'll be okay. She's just going through tough times, that's all."  
  
Only Motoko seemed to realize that only half of that was true. 


	2. Memory Loss: Sorrow

Oblivion  
  
By: Syndicate  
  
Dedicated to the GoDdEsS oF dEaTh, my muse.  
  
Memory Loss: Sorrow  
  
Keitaro was unconscious for a week. He suffered from a broken nose, among other injuries. While the others weren't sure whether he would make it or not, Naru insisted that he would survive. She wouldn't accept the fact that the abuse she'd put him through might have been too much for the Hinata Apartment manager.  
  
"It's all my fault." Naru mumbled to herself again. She sat on the corner of Keitaro's futon, next to his head, which was heavily bandaged. It hurt her to see him like this, and was even worse when she focused on the fact that she did this.  
  
"Don't worry, Naru," Kitsune said, sitting on the bed next to Naru.  
  
"Huh?" Naru asked. It broke Kitsune's heart to see someone as intelligent as Naru so lost and confused. It also broke Kitsune's heart when Naru was so sad, and on the verge of depression.  
  
'Only when Keitaro regains consciousness will Naru even begin to become her old self,' Kitsune mused. And as if by cue, Keitaro's hand twitched. Neither Kitsune nor Naru saw it, nor did they even notice it until it was placed on top of Naru's hand.  
  
Naru's eyes widened as she looked at her clasped hands, and the male hand of Keitaro on them. She looked down quickly to see his eyes open and his mouth in a half smile. Naru's face lit up, and as if this light had been visible, Kitsune noticed she was happy, and knew what happened. She ran to the door, stuck her head out and screamed, "Keitaro's awake!" Only Kitsune's echo was heard for a moment. Then, the ground shook slightly as the rest of the girls stampeded towards Keitaro's room.  
  
Motoko arrived first. Her superior running skills allowed her to get to Keitaro's room in record time. She was breathing in short, ragged gasps when she reached Kitsune, who stood outside the room. Motoko made a move for the door when Kitsune stopped her.  
  
"Give Naru a few minutes." Motoko knew the other woman's words were true, but she felt she had to see him. Something deep inside of her ached for the sight of the ronin boy.  
  
'What is this I'm feeling?' she wondered, placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart. She still wondered the reason when Su came over on a hovering bike - one of her newest inventions - followed by Shinobu, and Haruka. Kitsune told them the same thing she had told Motoko moments prior and they all waited outside of the room, impatiently.  
"Enough is enough," Motoko said finally. "I need to see him." The others looked at her questioningly and she blushed slightly. "I want to make sure I didn't waste my time using one of my special techniques to find out he's dead."  
  
'Why am I lying to them?' she thought as she slid the door open, revealing a sleeping Naru on Keitaro's bed. Semi-dry tear trails were still visible on her cheeks.  
  
Keitaro was sitting on the floor next to the futon. One of his hands combed through her hair while the other one simply sat in his lap. His eyes were trained on her face as he continued to bring his fingers through her hair. After watching this for a minute, Kitsune announced their arrival, bringing Keitaro out of his trance.  
  
"Hello, Keitaro," she said quietly. He looked up at her, then the other girls at his door.  
  
"Hello," he said, smiling back. "Who might you be?" Kitsune stared at him blankly.  
  
"Kitsune, remember?" She walked over to him and bent down, bringing her face mere inches from his. After staring at his eyes for a moment, Kitsune spoke. "You don't remember me, do you?" He shook his head. "Or Motoko? Shinobu, Su, or your aunt Haruka?" She pointed at each of the girls as she said their name. Keitaro shook his head again.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I've never seen you before, although you all seem to know me. But I must admit you've let me sleep in a very nice room." He looked around him again. "Very nice, indeed."  
  
"How can you not remember us?" a timid Shinobu asked. She had moved next to Kitsune during the short conversation. "You've been with us for over a year, now! You can't simply say you've-"  
  
"He's got amnesia," Motoko interrupted. "He doesn't remember you, me, or any of us. He probably doesn't even remember his own parents." Motoko's voice was thick. She was looking at the ground where a few tears fell. They splattered against the hardwood and formed liquid domes. Soon more tears joined them.  
  
"What is amnesia? It sounds yummy!" Su called out after a moment of silence. Motoko quickly took her katana from its sheath and had it pointed at Su's neck. Haruka gasped quietly as the others stared at Motoko, and her most unexpected action. After realizing what she had done, Motoko put her katana back, but didn't say anything.  
  
"Am I missing something?" Keitaro asked no one in general. "Either way, it looks like I'm not helping whatever sad situation has taken place, so I think I'll go now." He got up off his knees and walked to the door, which was blocked by the other women. "Excuse me," he murmured as he squeezed through. "I'll be in that wonderful hot spring I saw outback," he called, as he continued down the hallway.  
Naru woke up to the sound of familiar voices. She groaned a bit as she stretched her legs and arms. She slowly opened her eyes and peered at everyone around her. When her eyes focused, she noticed Keitaro wasn't with them. She shot up.  
  
"Where's Keitaro?" she asked urgently. "Where'd he go? I've got to-" She was interrupted.  
  
"Shh, calm down," Kitsune said, placing her hand on Naru's shoulder. "He's just in the hot spring."  
  
"But why isn't he here?" she replied quickly. "With us?"  
  
"Well." Kitsune trailed off. Naru looked at the rest of the group. They either turned their head to the side of looked at the ground. "Nothing good, unfortunately." Naru waited, expecting Kitsune to continue.  
  
She didn't.  
  
"What's wrong with Keitaro?" Naru was panicking.  
  
"It's nothing to get worked up over," Haruka lied.  
  
"What happened to him?" she half screamed. She jumped out of bed and out the door. As she sprinted down the hallway she heard Kitsune yell, "Get her!" Then the roar of an engine sounded, and Su sped after Naru on her hover-bike.  
  
Naru turned a corner and Su passed her by, unable to make the turn in time. Now Naru was by herself, and could only hear her breath, and could only feel the adrenaline pumping through her blood vessels.  
  
She raced down the stairs, made another turn, and finally came to the door that led to the hot springs.  
  
"Stop, Naru!" Shinobu squealed from some feet away.  
  
"Let us explain, first!" Kitsune yelled.  
  
"I'll catch her!" Su said, and the roar of an engine was heard again. But it was too late. Naru had already opened the door and ran outside onto the stone ground surrounding the host spring. She saw Keitaro sitting at the end farthest from her. His head lied back against the rock floor lazily. Water droplets glistened on his chest, and his hair was matted down due to the hot spring water that covered it. She snapped herself out of her daze.  
  
"Keitaro!" she yelled happily, running towards him. She fell into the hot springs, and was totally submerged. She quickly placed her feet on the bottom and pushed herself up above the surface, then waded over to Keitaro. She didn't hear the other Apartment inhabitants pass through the door behind her.  
Keitaro had no idea who the strange woman hugging him was, but he didn't object. Merely chuckled whole-heartedly.  
  
"Who do we have here?" he asked, pushed Naru back so he could see the entirety of her face. "Oh, it's you!" Naru's heart broke.  
  
"I'm so, so sorry." Naru said with a cry. She embraced Keitaro again, burying her head in his shoulder. She mumbled incoherently, but Keitaro did his best to listen. He caught bits and pieces of what she said, but when put together they made no sense.  
  
"Whoa, slow down!" he said finally. "Let's start from the beginning." He pushed Naru back again and she nodded after a quick sniffle.  
  
"You're friends over there have deemed me Keitaro. What's your name?" Naru simply stared at him. Her heart skipped a beat.  
  
'Maybe I heard wrong.'  
  
"Excuse me?" she asked, her voice shaky.  
  
"I'm Keitaro. Who are you?" It took Naru time to register what her fellow ronin had said. When she did understand it, she was hit hard.  
  
"No." she mumbled. "This. This can't be."  
  
"It is." Motoko whispered. She had come into the hot spring as well, and had waded over next to the other two. "He has. Amnesia." She couldn't hold them back any longer. Her tears spilled over, and poured down her cheeks. Naru looked over at the Kendo girl.  
  
'Why is Motoko crying?' she thought, but didn't say anything. She simply stared at the other girl, whose gaze seemed to be fixated on Keitaro. 'Could she.' Naru quickly dismissed the thought, and gave her full attention to Keitaro once again.  
  
Kitsune leaned close to Haruka. "Do you think he'll be less of a klutz?" she asked.  
  
"I'm not sure," Haruka replied. "Either way, we've got something more important to worry about." When met with Kitsune's blank stare, she continued. "Will Keitaro still love Naru?"  
"Of course he will!" Kitsune said matter-of-factly to Haruka an hour later. Since Keitaro's aunt had asked the questioned, Naru and Motoko had shed many tears. Although none of the Hinata Apartment residents were able to say why Motoko was crying for sure, they all had their theories.  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Haruka took out a cigarette and light it, bringing it to her mouth and taking a long drag. She held the smoke in her lungs for a few seconds before exhaling forcefully, smoke winding out between her lips.  
  
"After all, he suffered a nasty couple of knocks to the head. There's a chance his taste in women, and his view on the world in general, could be severely changed." Kitsune didn't say anything, just lounged on the sofa, thinking.  
  
"But it's possible that Kei-" Haruka cut her off. She pointed behind Kitsune, who turned around to see Keitaro.  
  
"Hey Keitaro," she said. "Why don't you come over and sit with us?" She motioned to the portion of the sofa she wasn't sitting in. He stood there a moment, thinking. Kitsune was beginning to think he'd reject her offer when he finally moved forward towards the two women.  
  
He fell into the seat next to Kitsune. Until then, she hadn't seen the sweat glistening on his exposed arms and chest. The tank top he was wearing left little to be imagined.  
  
Kitsune turned her head to look at Haruka, who mouthed, 'See?'  
  
'Maybe he has changed drastically.' Kitsune thought. Then she remembered the sweat.  
  
"Hey, why are you so sweaty?" she asked Keitaro.  
  
"Hm? Oh, I was just working out a bit. Exercising. I'm too. Weak." Kitsune's eyebrows shot up. Why he had suddenly decided to do this. Of course she knew he had amnesia, but he was so busy beforehand, with studying and all.  
  
Studying.  
  
'Has he forgotten about Tokyo U? His promise to Naru that he'd get into the school with her this year? He couldn't.'  
  
He did. 


	3. Confessions from a Lost Lover: Naru

Oblivion  
  
By: Syndicate  
  
Dedicated to the GoDdEsS oF dEaTh, my muse.  
  
Confessions from a Lost Lover: Naru  
  
Memories.  
  
The memories of good times often fled Naru Narusegawa quickly, or left her only vague ideas of the times that had past, but not those of Keitaro.  
  
She still remembered the first time she laid eyes upon the twenty year-old Tokyo U wannabe. It had been a misunderstanding. Granny Hina had called Keitaro over to the now all-girls Hinata Apartments. Keitaro was spared of this detail, and ended up facing four vicious females, who felt that he was nothing more than a Peeping Tom.  
  
That wasn't the first time all of the Apartment inhabitants had ganged up on Keitaro. There had been many, many other times after that spanning over the year he had spent with him. Most of the injuries, though, came from Naru.  
  
'From me.'  
  
She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly, trying to forget. To forget all the times she had hurt him. She never asked for an explanation.  
  
'I. Never did ask for him to explain himself. Then. Why did I do what I did?' Naru shook her head quickly, snapping her neck one way, then the other, trying in vain to forget.  
  
She rose to her feet; the Mr. Chupee plushy that had previously lain on her lap hit the ground softly. She advanced on the window and pushed it open forcefully. A gust of cold wind slapped her and raindrops began pouring into her room. She closed the window quickly.  
  
'It's raining?' she wondered. 'I didn't hear any rain.' Then, slowly, she began to notice more things. Her plushy. The sound of the rain drops splattering on the room and her window. The heater in the corner, which was on, warming up the air around it and throwing it at her. And she saw Kitsune, leaning against the frame of her door, staring at her.  
  
"What?" she asked, wiping away the trails of tears that ran down her cheeks with her right hand. "Is something wrong?" Tears began to fall freely down her cheeks once again, and she continued to wipe them away. Kitsune shook her head lightly.  
  
"You don't have to hide it anymore," she said.  
  
"Hide what?"  
  
"Don't play with me!" Kitsune spit back. Naru made a small sound of surprise. She didn't' expect to hear words put so harshly by Kitsune, her friend.  
  
"You love him," Kitsune said matter-of-factly. Naru opened her mouth to speak, but Kitsune interrupted her. "No use hiding it. We all know. Your lies are transparent, and have been for some time. Since Christmas. You said you just wanted to go to Tokyo U with him. You said a whole lot more than that." Naru remembered, and hung her head down.  
  
"So, why'd you do it?" Naru brought her head back up, looking at Kitsune. "Why did you constantly injure him? You've loved him for months. You continued to abuse him. Why." That last word echoed in Naru's mind. It continued, repeating again and again. Naru clutched her head and whispered, "Stop." She said it again, except with more force. Finally, she screamed and ran out of her room, ramming into Kitsune with her shoulder. She was unphased, but Kitsune was sent into the wall of the hallway as Naru hurried out of the Apartments.  
  
"Oh Naru." Kitsune mumbled to herself, sliding down to the floor.  
Naru found herself at the park. The park that she had played with Keitaro and Mutsumi at. So many memories flowed through the ground of this most special place.  
  
She hated the memories.  
  
Whether they were good or bad, they contained Keitaro. All of them. She was unable to recall a memory not containing Keitaro. Not her parents, not any of her birthdays, nothing. Everything was at the Hinata Apartments. Everything was of him.  
  
Keitaro.  
  
"What are you afraid of?" Naru whipped around to see Mutsumi standing behind her, arms in front of her, hands clasped. Her hair was in its usual style, blowing through the wind roughly. It was wet. Naru realized it was raining.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Naru asked. A gust of wind blew her to the side a bit, and send chills up her spine. Mutsumi opened her mouth to ask again, but Naru couldn't hear her over the howls of the wind and the crack of a tree branch, which broke off. It fell to the ground a few feet from Naru. She stared at it for a few moments.  
  
Mutsumi made a move for Naru, then paused, and went ahead. She grabbed hold of her friend's arm, and began to pull her away. Naru simply stared at the branch, which was partly submerged beneath the sand as she was pulled away from the small park.  
  
Naru blinked as a flash of lightning blinded her, and suddenly she was inside a house, in a bed. She sat up and looked around.  
  
It was Mutsumi's bed.  
  
She quickly crawled out of it and went in search of Mutsumi. When she found the rooms empty, she stood in the middle of the bedroom and looked at what clothing she wore. It was a dark purple nightgown. It was made of silk and easy to move around in. She spun around and laughed at herself quietly. Smiling felt weird to her.  
  
She jogged over to the window and opened it. Sunlight bathed her, and the floor around her, in a yellow aura. She took a deep breath through her nose, smelling the sweet scent of the air around her.  
  
"Awake, I see," Mutsumi said. Naru looked at the door where Mutsumi stood. The light from the sun covered her body as well, making her already beautiful figure even lovelier.  
  
Naru blinked and replied. "Hello."  
  
Mutsumi hesitated to reply. "We. Need to talk."  
  
Although Mutsumi was smiling, Naru could tell the following conversation would be serious from her friend's tone.  
  
"Sure," Naru said after a moment. "What do you want to talk about? The carefree joy that had Naru in its grasp mere seconds ago was gone. A feeling of dread crept over her in the silence that followed her question. She hoped her prediction for the topic of the talk was wrong.  
  
"I wanted to talk about. Keitaro." Naru's heart stopped. Tears sprung to her eyes and her legs began to shake. Unable to control herself any longer she dropped to her knees, clasping her hands in front of her and placing them on her lap.  
  
She was right. Damn.  
  
Mutsumi crawled over to Naru and grasped her hands in an attempt to comfort the younger ronin. After a moment, Naru began to speak; slowly and at a whisper at first. Then, as she continued, she had to speak louder just to make herself heard above the force of her sobbing. Tears streamed down her porcelain cheeks and onto Mutsumi's hands.  
  
Naru started with the hardest thing she had ever said: declaring her love for Keitaro. From there, she began explaining how she was afraid of admitting this for many reasons, mainly she valued his friendship too much to possibly jeopardize. She was also afraid of the reactions from the other residents at the Apartments, especially Shinobu's.  
  
She continued by saying how a relationship between them might effect they're studying, and then all the time they spent preparing for the entrance exam would be in vain. During the entire thing, Mutsumi stayed silent, listening intently.  
  
Naru cried throughout the hold explanation. By the end she was breathing deeply - partially due to her sobbing - and she was spent. Exhausted and with nothing to stay up for, she fell asleep in Mutsumi's arms. The elder girl had gathered her into her arms and had rocked her back and forth throughout half of the one-sided conversation.  
  
After carrying Naru to bed and making sure she was comfortable under the bed sheets, Mutsumi walked into her kitchen tiredly and began making herself a cup of tea. When she finished, she took the steaming cup over to the table and sat down, cup still in hand. She took a sip then placed it onto the table. Now that Naru was asleep she could concentrate on what she had said.  
  
A small smile touched Mutsumi's face.  
  
'At last. She finally admitted it.'  
Kitsune walked into the kitchen, stopping when she saw Shinobu, who looked like a wreck. Her hair wasn't brushed, her eyes were half closed, and her apron was on crooked. Kitsune sighed, feeling bad that she was the least effected inhabitant n the Apartments. Of course, she felt said and cared for Keitaro, but not as much as any of the other women.  
  
A tap on the shoulder brought Kitsune out of her thoughts and up a few feet into the air. Kitsune spun around to see Haruka, smoke gently floating pup from a cigarette that lazily laid sandwiched between her two lips.  
  
"Don't do that!" a startled Kitsune yelled. She turned her head around quickly to see Shinobu hadn't moved, just continued to cook. 'Poor Shinobu.' she thought again.  
  
"Have you seen Motoko or Naru?" Haruka asked. "Because I haven't since this morning."  
  
"Me neither," Kitsune replied. "Except. When did Motoko go missing? And why? She seems worked up over this." A smile flashed over Haruka's features for a split second.  
  
"I don't know." She turned around. "If you see them, though, keep an eye on them. Both of them. They seem to be most effected, so. Just be there."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
Haruka began walking away. "What about me?" Kitsune sighed, exasperated. After the ordeals of the day, she was too tired to deal with Haruka and her attitude.  
  
"You need any help?" she questioned, remembering Shinobu. When she turned around Shinobu was nowhere to be found. Only a rag on the stovetop engulfed in flames. Kitusne proceeded to put the fire out with a few glasses of water.  
  
'Poor, poor Shinobu.'  
The rest of the day passed in a blur for the inhabitants at the Hinata Apartments. Naru slept the day away at Mutsumi's, Motoko was nowhere to be found, while Kitsune and Haruka lounged around in silence. Shinobu had locked herself in her room, and Su was working nonstop on a contraption to cure Keitaro of his amnesia.  
  
The Apartments were nothing if not hectic as soon as Keitaro had returned. He spent the day re-meeting Haitani and Shirai, who were stunned when they realized what Keitaro suffered from. Almost as surprised as when they found out who did it. It seemed everyone but Keitaro had known that Naru loved him, even before the knocks to his head.  
  
Bombarded by questions, Keitaro became exhausted quite quickly. It didn't take long before Su marched in, amnesia-machine in hand.  
  
"Sit," she commanded, pointing to a chair. Confused but obedient, Keitaro did as she asked. When he sat down she came up behind him and put a helmet on his head. After pressing a few buttons on the surface, and tapping a keyboard on her laptop, which was connected to the helmet, it began to hum. It started out quietly, then became louder. Suddenly it became a high- pitched squeak, and the machine blew, sending smoke out around Keitaro. When it cleared Keitaro seemed to be alright, but he was dirty.  
  
Su rushed to his side and took the helmet off his head. "I don't understand," she mumbled to herself, walking back to her room. Shinobu retreated back to the kitchen when Keitaro looked at her, and Haruka took the now burnt chair outside. As Kitsune began to leave Keitaro called her name.  
  
"Yes?" she asked, turning around.  
  
"Where it." Keitaro paused, trying to recall her name. "Motoko?" he finished, finally. Kitsune narrowed her eyes, studying Keitaro.  
  
"No one's seen her since this morning." she murmured. "After confronting you."  
  
"Then I should go find her," Keitaro said. He began to turn around.  
  
"Dinner's ready!" Shinobu called from the doorway leading to the kitchen.  
  
"After dinner," he said with a grin.  
  
As promised, Keitaro left in search of Motoko as soon as he finished dinner. The other worried slightly as to why he took a sudden interest in Motoko, but said nothing.  
  
Kitsune had tried to stall him when he finished, but he merely placed a finger against her lips and left, which left her lightheaded and blushing.  
Naru's eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times, adjusted to the darkness, and then sat up. She felt rejuvenated, although she wasn't sure whether it was because of the sleep or the confessions from earlier.  
  
Earlier.  
  
How long had she been asleep? It must have been pretty late, so she assumed only a few hours. No more than six. She shrugged it off. It didn't matter. What mattered was where Mutsumi was. Pushing her bed sheets aside, Naru got out of bed and slowly walked out for the room, oblivious to the large dent in the wall that she had help create not even twenty-four hours ago as she passed it.  
  
She checked the kitchen first, only finding a pot of water on the counter. It was still warm. Mutsumi had stayed up pretty late. Or early. She still didn't know the time.  
  
Naru found Mutsumi when she stumbled into the main room. Mutsumi's lower body was under her heated table, while her upper body was hunched over the table. He head rested on her crossed arms, which were propped on the table.  
  
Naru stretched her arm over to Mutsumi, ready to wake her up to tell her she was going home when a snippet of their earlier conversation hit her.  
  
"Amnesia or not, Keitaro is still the same old Keitaro. Don't forget that."  
  
Naru pulled her hand back and made a move for the door. She didn't need to tell Mutsumi what she was doing. It wasn't like she needed permission to tell Keitaro how she feels.  
  
Opening the door, Naru looked back at Mutsumi, then outside. She made a move to exit the house, but stopped. Could she do it? Did she have the guts? Thinking something up and acting upon that thought were two totally different things. What if she changed her mind at the last minute? Or Keitaro laughed? She wouldn't be able to handle that kind of rejection.  
  
'No, Mutsumi is right!' she thought. 'Keitaro is Keitaro.'  
  
So? What did it mean if Keitaro never loved her to begin with?  
  
Flashbacks began hitting Naru. Consecutively, one after another, she began remembering things in the past. Actions or words she had previously misunderstood or misinterpreted made sense, and everything began fitting together.  
  
"He. He loves me." she mumbled to herself. "He has. For awhile now." She brought a hand to the doorframe to support herself. "How could I have been so blind?" It was so obvious. Why she hadn't seen any of this earlier was a mystery.  
  
'The past cannot be corrected,' she thought, filled with a new resolve. 'But I can pave the road for a glorious future. Keitaro loves me. Amnesia or not, he is still Keitaro. The Keitaro I know and.' She hesitated. 'And. L-love.' The word felt strange on her tongue when used in conjunction with Keitaro.  
  
"Love." she said again, but this time aloud. "Love. I love. Keitaro." She grinned. It didn't sound too weird anymore. "I love Keitaro." She said it again. Louder. "I love Keitaro!"  
  
Filled with a new resolve, Naru brought her chin up a notch. She loved Keitaro. He loved her. All she had to do was confess and. And everything would be all right.  
  
Naru spun around quickly, now facing Mutsumi who still laid fast asleep half-under her heated table.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered, and left, closing the door behind her. Mutsumi opened an eye a moment after the door was closed.  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Naru all but skipped her way to the Hinata Apartments, filled with a happiness she never thought possible. She was high as a cloud and flying amongst the birds. Nothing could ruin this moment for her. Nothing.  
  
Author's Note: I would like to thank every one of you who have waited patiently for the third chapter. The wait between the second and third chapters has been inexcusably long, and for that I apologize. A combination of lack of ideas and an unwillingness to spend a lot of time on this story, despite loving to write, have made this three month wait possible. But, all thanks to a statewide test here in the Golden State, I have been able to write the third chapter. I have also edited some typos in the previous two chapters and rephrased a bit to make them sound better, overall.  
  
Again, I am sorry for this wait. It was inexcusable. On the plus side, I have planned out the next three chapters, and with this test extending into next week, well. The possibilities of a fourth chapter soon are high, but don't get your hopes up. 


	4. To The Breaking Point Introduction

[AN:

This is the rough draft for the introduction of To The Breaking Point, a rewrite to Oblivion that really has no business suddenly coming to life so long after I started the latter. I wrote it late at night, I didn't edit it, etc., etc. So... you've been warned. (I'm sorry! This is more to let people know that I'm continuing on with this, rather than the real, well-written introduction I'd expect of myself. plz 4giv me)

In terms of what's new, it's essentially just a reworking of what I've already done, with the intention of writing it out to its conclusion. The setup and all is gonna be a bit different, but the spirit of the story remains the same, blah blah, etc. It's the sort of thing where you like an old idea, but the actual implementation at the time (read: the writing) wasn't so hot, so you go back and redo it all sexy-like. That's the plan, anyway.

So "enjoy" this bit of crap, and just know that I'll polish it up and have a real start to it up soon-ish (eventually?).]

To The Breaking Point

I. Introduction

15 years.

 It had taken Keitaro Urashima and Naru Narusegawa 15 years to find one another. 15 years of living life, growing, and waiting, and they had finally met once more, but as strangers. The passage of time had worn away at their memories, casting their remembrances of the other's looks and names into an unknown abyss; changing and crafting them into different, new versions of their former selves, so that when they met once more they were not as the remnants of their memories portrayed.

 It would take another two years for them to rekindle their past feelings and grow them into something new. Unbeknownst to them, they spent those years rediscovering what they had once had, and then ushering it into the present-time, finding their love in ways that they couldn't have imagined as children. Romantic love, dates, a real relationship on the cusp of fruition--those were the products of their reintroduction, entirely separate from their childhood memories of sandboxes and playdates, games of make-believe and farewell kisses.

 But was it meant to be? they might wonder. Keitaro, having grown more in those last two years than in his previous 15, had finally begun to discover who he was. But to make good on those discoveries--to not only figure himself out in an abstract way, but to act on those realizations and come to truly _know_ himself--he left.

 So for six months their relationship ground to a halt, leaving them only to pine for their eventual second reunion. His hope was on open one: that upon his return they might finally realize the love the two had shared for so long, and make good in it; as was hers, though she would hardly admit it so clearly to herself.

 But upon his return there was nothing.


End file.
